NEP paper says eggs, meat lead to lifestyle disorders, researcher call it unscientific

The panel on National Education Policy (NEP) from Karnataka has made few recommendations to the government regarding the ‘ill-effects’ of eating eggs which can lead to ‘lifestyle disorder’ including diabetes, early menarche, primary infertility among others in its position paper on ‘health and wellbeing’.

“A carefully planned meal with recommended energy, moderately low fat, and zero trans-fat food is needed to address the over-nutrition. Hence, while planning mid-day meals, cholesterol-free, additives-free, such as eggs, flavoured milk, biscuits , should be forbidden to prevent obesity and hormonal imbalance caused by excess calory (calorie) and fat. Given the small body frame of Indians, any extra energy provided through cholesterol by regular consumption of egg and meat leads to lifestyle disorders,” the paper stated.

“Lifestyle disorders like diabetes, early menarche, primary infertility in India is escalating, and studies conducted across the countries suggest that animal-based foods interfere with hormonal functions in humans. The gene-diet interactions indicate what is best for Indian ethnicity, and the natural choice of the race needs to be considered,” the paper added.

The new position paper was published under the leadership of Dr K John Vijay Sagar, professor and head, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS).

Dr Sylvia Karpagam, a public health doctor and researcher, however, said that such documents which are unscientific, more propaganda than policy, should be thrown out. She questioned why a psychiatrist was writing about nutrition.

“Everything they have said about eggs is unscientific and not based on any kind of evidence. They have taken someone who has taken yoga and someone who is doing gymnastics and are deciding on the nutrition policy. There is a serious nutritional crisis in the state which is actually going to affect children in a very inter-generational way, like children are likely to grow up stunted, likely to have infection and have non-communicable diseases,” she said.

“It is a huge issue for the state itself. Instead of giving it the seriousness it deserves, they are using these spaces to criminalise the foods that people are eating,” she added.

According to the National Family Health Survey-5, released in May, at least 35% of children under the age of five in Karnataka are stunted which is just one percentage point lower than the national average.

The contract to provide mid-day meals was given to organisations like ISKON who do not provide eggs, onions or garlic. The Karnataka government had announced to introduce eggs in mid-day meals despite opposition from various communities as child malnutrition grows into a bigger concern. However, it introduced the scheme in some districts and not across the state.

The paper also added that yoga was the answer to deep suffering as it is “essentially a creative process of perfection and yogic research gives us the secret of the perfection and integration of personality.”

The paper also said that the food prepared by grandmother is good.